The federal service for the protection of cultural heritage said scores of architectural fantasies by Yakov Chernikhov (1889-1951), one of the most innovatory architects of his time and author of a series avant-garde art books, had been stolen from the State Literary and Art Archives.
The service said the exact number of stolen items had not been identified so far, as the check was still under way.
But the service said the stolen items could be worth several million dollars, adding that 274 Chernikhov drawings worth $1.3 million had already been regained from antiques markets in Russia and abroad. The items will be returned to the archives.
The service also said nine Chernikhov drawings had been sold at Christie's on June 22.
An earlier inventory at the Hermitage art museum in St. Petersburg, boasting one of the world's richest collections, revealed a large-scale theft. The service said in late July that 221 items had gone missing from storage, including icons, medieval and 19th-century jewelry, silverware and enameled objects.
A total of 10 stolen artifacts have been found, including two last week. Three suspects, including relatives of the museum curator, who died suddenly when the check that identified the theft was started, are being questioned.
